The Las Vegas Raiders confirmed Tuesday that Kirk Cousins will start the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, a decision head coach Klint Kubiak announced as the team closes its preseason evaluation.
Veteran veteran to open vs. Dolphins; contract details
Kirk Cousins signed a one-year deal this offseason that includes $20 million guaranteed and will carry the Raiders’ opening-day workload, Kubiak said. The coach added praise for Cousins’ preparation, saying, "Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp and he’s earned it.”
The move snaps a recent string of opening-day starts by No. 1 overall draft picks; Cousins’ Week 1 assignment ends that streak and puts the veteran at the helm for the immediate stretch of the schedule.
How the competition played out and what it means for Fernando Mendoza
The starting battle came down to Cousins and the No. 1 pick in the draft, Fernando Mendoza. Head-coaching staff evaluations concluded that Mendoza did not do enough to take the job, leaving the rookie behind Cousins on the depth chart for the opener.
Yahoo! News framed the choice as one the Raiders had largely settled months ago and suggested the organization prioritized long-term health and stability in handing the Week 1 nod to Cousins. That report added that, barring injury to Cousins or an otherworldly showing from Mendoza, the veteran was the presumptive favorite for the job.
Yahoo! News also noted the practical magnitude of the decision, arguing Cousins "would have had to get hurt to not be the starter" or Mendoza "probably would have had to look like 2007 Tom Brady" to flip the outcome — characterizations offered as commentary on the difficulty of supplanting an established veteran in a short preseason window.
For Mendoza, the result is a clear calibration: the Raiders’ staff has evaluated the rookie and decided the immediate opening belongs to Cousins. The team now heads into Week 1 with an experienced signal-caller starting under center and a high-profile rookie watching and learning from the sideline.
Cousins’ confirmation as the starter gives Las Vegas a known quantity for the early schedule while the organization manages its roster and quarterback development decisions. The Raiders will begin their season with Cousins leading the offense against Miami on opening day.
